Carpets ........

Joolie · 6th October 2005, 21:33

When I viewed my new house the carpets were already fitted as an incentive to buy the last few remaining plots........... I know I should have looked at them more closely but unfortunately didn't ......

They have completely worn out in four months,despite the fact there are only two people living here, also the grippers on the stairs are coming through the carpet ... the carpet in the main areas of the house are now completely matted and worn.

This is obviously very cheap carpet and designed for occasional use or bedrooms not heavy use ie. hallways and living areas ..Do I have a leg to stand on with "unfit for the purpose" on this ......anyone else had a simialr problem ? my experiences so far with David Mcleans customer care service has been very poor to say the least so I'm not looking forward to the next battle !!!

Many Thanks .............

Tony · 8th October 2005, 10:30

It is very common for builders to use the cheapest materials they can find and in your case it sounds like the carpet is not fit for purpose. Although, it has worn out and this is obviously the case I would recommend getting an expert opinion. The easiest way to do this would be to get the opinion of a reputable carpet fitter in writing with a quotation to replace the carpet in the areas recommended. I imagine this will be the high traffic areas such as the stairs, hallways and living areas.

As your carpets were included with the house you are not covered by the Sale of Goods Act. If they were you could give David Mclean two weeks to replace the carpets, before getting another supplier to replace them and billing the original supplier. Trading Standards would help you out for a very small fee and they would have no problems getting your money back from a large established company such as David Mclean.

However, as this does not apply in your case I would, assuming the cost is less than ?5000, use the Small Claims Court. This can now be done online very easily. Nik Clayton over at New Home Blogs has used this and others have used it successfully to resolve snagging issues.

I hope this helps

Let us know how you get on

Tony

Joolie · 12th October 2005, 21:02

Thanks Tony ....I think I'll start with a carpet fitters opinion and take it from there ........... but considering the response I have had from Mcleans regarding the initial snagging I think I'll be talking to a brick wall !!! Keep you posted !!

Tony · 24th October 2005, 13:37

I found this whihc may be of use BBC Small Claims Guide

Tony